It's Christmas time!!!

I love Christmas for all the right reasons... and all the commercial reasons too. I love giving gifts, decorating cookies, hot chocolate, Christmas lights and all that! This year I have not been able to really get into the spirit. This is mostly because I have had so much going on with school, finals, clinicals... stuff like that. I also forgot that you don't get into the spirit, the Spirit gets into you if you let Him. I have been so busy rushing around that I have not been able to "see the forest for the trees" and really appreciate what is all around me. Well, it is only the 13th and it is not too late to start celebrating advent and getting ready for Christmas.  I've started praying more with Olivia and reading her stories about Christ's birth instead of the usual princess stories.  We have been singing Christmas carols instead of lullabies and We're loving it!  We've also enjoyed some of the more commercial aspects of Christmas like Christmas lights displays and shopping.  Tonight we had a little family datenight.  Nic finished putting our lights up before we left.  We went to dinner, saw some lights and came home to see our house lit up with our own lights, some Christmas trees and a couple moving reindeer (LOVE)
 One thing I really enjoyed doing last year was the 12 days of Christmas with my very own Saint Nic. Yes, I know that I do this backwards, but it's just something fun I like to do. So, today is the first day of Christmas (for my purposes) and the 12th day will be on Christmas Eve. Basically, I give him little gifts that correlate with the number of day it is. Like, today... It's the 1st day of Christmas so he gets one blue steel coffee tumbler and I'm hoping Santa puts the matching gold one in my stocking (wink, wink!) Tomorrow he might get 2 of something. The trick is surprising him with it. So, I have to sneak around after he goes to bed or before he gets up... kinda like that dang elf! I have a big HESI exam this morning so I won't get to see his reaction but I'm sure he'll love it. Happy Advent!!!

Day 1

I got a late start today but I did start!  I did the first workout on the 30 Day Shred video and let me tell you- it was rough!  Before I had Olivia I was in one of those bootcamps you see at all the parks.  I was awesome! I was strong and fit and fast... okay, maybe I have never been that fast but I was healthy.  I had endurance and stamina. None of those things are true today.  Who would have thought that in 2 short years I would have sunk so low.  But today is a new day! I am starting today and moving forward.  I just might be moving a little slower than I would like.  So, day 1...

There are 3 workouts you can do right in your living room.  All you need is a pair of hand weights.  I have a set of 3lb and 5lb weights.  Guess which ones I used.  That's right 3.  Anyway, you do each workout for 10 days before moving on to the next.  They are only 20 minutes but they are high-intensity with no breaks.  I had to do the modified exercises and I still struggled but hopefully that will change a bit before I get to workout 2.  When I read this back to myself I think "20 minutes with 3lb weights?! That's not much" but I have to start somewhere. My goal is to use the 5lb weights by workout 2.  I will keep you updated!  I have heard some encouraging words from my friends who read yesterday's post so please keep 'em coming.  Are any of you challenging yourselves? Do you already have an exercise regimen that you follow.  Tell me what it is.  I'd also love any exercise and diet tips!